The Amazing Power of Empathy inImproving Your Life and Theirsby www.SixWise.com

Empathy is the ability to put yourself into someone else's
shoes -- to understand them, to feel their pain, to take on
their concerns, worries and regrets, as well as their joys,
their elations and their excitement. As basic and elemental
as this may sound, it's not an easy thing to do. But it is
beneficial.

People with empathetic personalities are more likely
to have satisfying long-term relationships.

Empathy is a key emotion sought after in leaders, in upper
management, in spouses, in students, in children and in friends.
It's been scientifically proven to promote "prosocial"
behaviors (acts that help others, especially altruistic ones),
contribute to "emotional intelligence," and educators
are even pushing to instill it in grade school students. Why?
Because empathy makes the world a better place, for you and
for those around you.

Empathetic People are Good Thinkers

Studies have found that showing care and compassion for others
fosters both creative and critical thinking. In fact, schools
where students have participated in programs designed to encourage
empathy tend to have higher scores on higher-order
reading comprehension than schools that don't. Meanwhile,
students that score well on measures of empathetic understanding
are also more likely to have high grade-point averages.

According to Delores Gallo, a researcher who has studied
the topic, "The attributes which characterize empathy
correlate with those of effective critical thinking and imagination."

One such attribute, role-taking, is even known to promote
open-mindedness, discourage hasty examination of problems,
encourage personal flexibility, and foster insight into different
perspectives and problem-solving skills.

To be a Great Leader, You Must be Empathetic

Ever since psychologist Daniel Goleman, Ph.D coined the term
"emotional intelligence" (EI) it has been taking
the business world by storm. A key aspect of EI is, you guessed
it, empathy, and anyone who's ever had a boss knows how important
it is to feel understood by him or her.

Students who are empathetic are more likely to have
higher grade-point averages.

Not surprisingly, studies have found that corporations that
have programs in EI training experience improvements in productivity
and profits. And, according to executive coaching firm Leadership
Advantage, "Up to 90 percent of the difference between
outstanding and average leaders is linked to emotional intelligence."
Further:

Emotional intelligence is twice as important as IQ and
technical expertise combined in terms of effective leading

EI is four times as important when it comes to overall
success

While the "emotional" side of things is usually
not brought up in business settings, being able to understand
others' emotions is essential in a good leader. Those without
this empathetic ability risk losing their jobs, according
to research by the Center for Creative Leadership.

They've found that the top causes of demotion in executives
involve a lack of emotional competence, including poor interpersonal
relations and not being able to work well as a team.

People with Empathy are More Likely to Forgive and Have Satisfying
Relationships

The benefits of empathy do not end with leadership. People
who are able to feel empathy for someone are also more likely
to forgive them, and forgiveness
is a key to leading a healthy and happy life from both
physical and emotional perspectives.

Meanwhile, perhaps because of the tendency to forgive, studies
have found that people who have empathetic personalities are
more likely to report being satisfied in their long-term relationships.
These people are also better able to show compassion and to
see things from their partner's perspective.

Not Empathetic? Want to Be? Here's How

If you find you are not naturally inclined to be empathetic,
there's good news. Empathy is a quality that can be learned
and, with a little persistence, even mastered. Following are
some top tips to help you show more empathy:

Listen to others when they talk to you.

Imagine how you would feel if put into someone else's
situation.

Use the Golden Rule: Treat others how you would want
to be treated.

Help someone out with a task before they ask you to (this
means you have to sense what they need help with).

Try to be understanding of other people's moods, opinions
and beliefs.